<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Unbound by primeideal</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23892460">Unbound</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/primeideal/pseuds/primeideal'>primeideal</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath of Slavery, Book 9: Winter's Heart, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:35:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,837</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23892460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/primeideal/pseuds/primeideal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The world may have visions of Alivia, but she also has visions of the world.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Unbound</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Alivia?" asked Nynaeve. She was wearing a long dress with a dot painted on her forehead. The Kin said it was from another part of the continent, one that didn't exist anymore. "Do you have a moment?"</p><p>"Who's there?"</p><p>"It's just me."</p><p>"You said I couldn't talk to you unless there were Kinswomen there."</p><p>Nynaeve pulled at her braid. It was intricately woven, like the middle stages of a cat's cradle game. "I've changed my mind. We can speak alone."</p><p>"All right," said Alivia.</p><p>"Rand and I are going to leave the palace soon." She had a fast, clipped way of speaking like everyone else in the land, one syllable falling after the next like raindrops on a roof. "Some of the Asha'man who...who helped rescue you, during the fight with the Seanchan, tried to kill him and ran away. He wants to fight them."</p><p>"I can tell Mistress Corly, if you'd like."</p><p>"That won't be necessary," said Nynaeve. "I'm here to...ask you if you would like to come with us. You were right; you do know a lot about fighting. Even if we don't make lessons of it, you could be useful in defeating the rogue Asha'man."</p><p>"Yes! I will fight for the Dragon." <em>Damane</em> weren't taught about prophecies; Alivia didn't care who held the Crystal Throne or who bowed to who. But she knew enough to know that the Dragon Reborn needed to fight the Dark One at Tarmon Gai'don. That was one battle all the world understood. Didn't it?</p><p>"You don't need to," Nynaeve said hurriedly. "It could be dangerous."</p><p>"I've been in danger before."</p><p>"Of course. But you shouldn't feel like you need to come."</p><p>"You <em>do</em> need me," said Alivia. "I choose this! Alivia will--" She broke off. For all the people in these lands babbled quickly, they were like freeborn and even some <em>so'jhin</em> when it mattered. "<em>I</em> want to go."</p><p>Thank the Light, the woman did not seem to notice her stammer. "All right. Come with me, there's something I want to show you."</p><p>Nynaeve shared a room with her husband; he wore a headband to hold back his long hair. "It's good to see you," he said, "Miss--"</p><p>"Alivia," said Nynaeve. "Alivia, this is my husband, Lan Mandragoran." Her eyes seemed to bounce up and down in her face when she spoke: <em>my husband</em>. Except he was not her property or even her subject; she belonged to him as much as he did to her.</p><p>"Alivia," repeated Lan, nodding. "Peace favor your sword."</p><p>"Are you also going to fight these Asha'man?" Alivia asked.</p><p>"If Nynaeve Sedai allows me," he said. What did <em>that</em> mean?</p><p>Nynaeve produced a bracelet from a small box. It had a set of rings attached to it, almost like an <em>a'dam</em>, but far too small for two different people to wear. "Try this on," she said.</p><p>"What is it?" Alivia asked.</p><p>"It's an <em>angreal</em>. It helps you draw on <em>saidar</em>, even more than--than usual, without hurting yourself."</p><p>Alivia held the bracelet between her thumb and forefinger. Was it a trick? Nynaeve did not seem to like her very much, and even she admitted that Alivia was very strong in the One Power. What did she need a bracelet for?</p><p>"You place yourself on the edge of embracing the Source, but don't reach for it yet. Then, you reach out <em>through</em> the bracelet."</p><p>"You don't need to tell me how to draw on the Power," said Alivia. She reached for <em>saidar</em>, and it was there, swift and inevitable like a waterfall tumbling over rocks.</p><p>"Well, then," said Nynaeve matter-of-factly. "It might...be easier if you wear all the rings. It doesn't make a difference, just so it can stay in place so you don't have to worry about it."</p><p>"I won't lose it."</p><p>Nynaeve rooted through the box again, producing a miniature key. Peering closely, Alivia noticed a lock on the chain connecting the bracelet to the rings. "This might help, too."</p><p>Alivia gripped the bracelet, her fist around it held nearly as tight as <em>saidar</em>. "You chain yourself up then, if you think it so attractive!"</p><p>"I'm sorry," said Nynaeve, exhaling. "I would be happy to demonstrate. It is possible that Rand will have another <em>angreal</em> for me to use."</p><p>Alivia eyed her warily, holding the bracelet out to her.</p><p>"You ought to release <em>saidar</em> first. You're holding a large amount; if you let go of the <em>angreal</em> while trying to control all of that, you could overdraw."</p><p>With a nod, Alivia let go of <em>saidar</em> and Nynaeve took up the bracelet. She slid each ring onto a finger, then delicately secured the lock as if she was both jailer and prisoner, mistress and slave. "You see?"</p><p>"I understand."</p><p>"If you don't want to use this one, I can find another. They just might be a bit weak for you."</p><p>"I will use it," said Alivia. The woman wore an image of a snake trying to poison itself and thought that made her powerful. She could endure a lock, if it helped the Dragon.</p><p>"I would suggest you practice here. It will be hard to use the power in Far Madding."</p><p>"Where?"</p><p>"The city where Rand thinks they're hiding. You can't use the Power there, except for with a few special <em>ter'angreal</em>. I can show you those, too, just one thing at a time."</p><p>"The Dragon thinks he will find the Asha'man in a city where no one can channel?" Alivia said. "Are they mad, or is he?"</p><p>Nynaeve sighed. "Neither. Not yet."</p><hr/><p>"Alivia," asked Min, "have you been in a lot of battles?"</p><p>"Some," she said. "When I was younger. After a while I was too--strong to waste, until the <em>Corenne</em>." Too <em>valuable</em>.</p><p>"Who were you fighting? Before, I mean."</p><p>"My second or third <em>sul'dam</em> was loyal to Ruko, who was a younger cousin to the Empress then. Thought she could take the throne, for some reason, and she tried to assassinate several of her aunts and uncles. There were all sorts of conflicts."</p><p>"Light!" said Min.</p><p>The woman looked queasy. "Are you about to sick up? Do you need a pot?"</p><p>"I am well." She reached for one of her books and started staring at it like it was a wild <em>lopar</em>. Alivia watched her for a few moments, then took out a string and started playing cat's cradle. Fingers of a <em>raken</em>, tusk of a <em>s'redit</em>, beak of a <em>grolm</em>...</p><p>"Would you like something to read?" Min interrupted. "I have a story about the adventures of Paedrig the Peacemaker, if you like that sort of thing."</p><p>"No, thank you."</p><p>"He is a bit of a...a fool man," Min said, as if that explained anything.</p><p>Alivia had learned to read as a child, of course. She was not stupid, and Mechoacan was prosperous enough to have books and scrolls. But <em>damane</em> did not have treats to read for pleasure; it was enough to navigate by the names of shops and inns, if she had errands to run. What if she had forgotten how?</p><p>Nynaeve and the Dragon grumbled about Far Madding; they did not like not being able to touch the Source at will. Why had they come there, then? It was all very silly. Alivia did not mind. Reaching for <em>saidar</em> was not something she had chosen or shied away from at will. Only a few brief days in Caemlyn, with the Sea Folk and the Kin and Lady Elayne, had it been something she could embrace as she liked.</p><p>Well, Min did not have the One Power, but she did like men, men who <em>she</em> could embrace or reject. From the way she went on about it, she was some kind of <em>der'morat</em> for men and their follies, determined to teach Alivia everything she could about the strange creatures. The woman almost made Cadsuane's lessons seem brief.</p><hr/><p>The woman had run. An<em> Atha'an Shadar</em>, Cadsuane had called her, or maybe even one of the Forsaken. And Alivia had thwarted her!  When the Dragon heard, surely he would let her seek vengeance on the <em>sul'dam</em>. If he ever woke up. The pain would subside, and even if it didn't, she didn't need two arms to hold <em>saidar</em>.</p><p>"Lady Alivia?" someone was saying. One of the Asha'man. "May I Heal you?"</p><p>"If you can," she said. Min had said the Asha'man were like weapons--like her. They could call down fire or roil the ground, but she would have been at a loss how to channel to heal even a minor injury, never mind one like hers.</p><p>He grabbed hold of her good hand. The bracelet and rings were still there. How would she unlock them, if she could not hold a key? "I can get Cadsuane to take these off," she said.</p><p>"They shouldn't get in the way," said the Asha'man. And then she felt cold like an ocean breeze had passed over her, and tired, as well--more tired than merely standing watch over the Lord Dragon and fending off one of the Forsaken.</p><p>"There you are." He smiled briefly. "You'll want to get plenty of food into you, once we're somewhere we can eat."</p><p>Her arm was whole! It was as if she had never been struck. "Thank you," Alivia gasped. "Can you--can you teach me how to do that?"</p><p>"I'm afraid not," he said. "The way you would do it with <em>saidar</em> is something I can't understand. But Nynaeve is said to have a knack for Healing as well. When she's free, she might be able to show you a thing or two."</p><p>Alivia nodded. Nynaeve was unconscious, too, drained by whatever immense weave had taken the last of even the Dragon's strength. But she would get better. She had to, to see that Alivia was telling the truth and <em>would</em> give her her <em>angreal</em> back. "Thank you," she said again.</p><p>"Of course," he said, awkwardly shifting his weight. "Er, if you don't mind, there are others I ought to see to."</p><p>"Go ahead."</p><p>She wiggled her fingers experimentally before walking over to Cadsuane. "The Asha'man are saying the taint is gone," said the Aes Sedai, sounding unconvinced. "<em>Saidin</em> clean! As soon ask whether the rivers in the Land of the Madmen run with fresh water."</p><p>"The old one healed me," Alivia said. "And I don't feel tainted."</p><p>"If only it were that easy to tell, girl."</p><p>"I am not a girl."</p><p>"Hmph." said Cadsuane. "Perhaps."</p><p>Alivia wondered what was happening in Seanchan. The idea of men channeling was not something abhorrent or fearful there; it was simply <em>not</em>. Everyone knew men could not channel. In the same way, maybe, they had known that <em>sul'dam</em> could not channel, that without the bracelets they were powerless.</p><p>But the world was being forged again. Perhaps even they would see that the ancient power that had once been merely a weapon of war was something much vaster, something that could heal and be healed in turn.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24348475">Unbound [Podfic]</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinypinkmouse/pseuds/tinypinkmouse_podfics">tinypinkmouse_podfics (tinypinkmouse)</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
</body>
</html>